2014 Inky Awards – The Winners

The Centre for Youth Literature at the State Library of Victoria today announced the winners of 2014 Inky Awards – Australia’s only national teen choice literary prize.

The Gold Inky is awarded to an Australian author and includes $2,000 prize money. The 2014 Gold Inky winner is: The First Third by Will Kostakis (Penguin).

Life is made up of three parts: in the first third, you’re embarrassed by your family; in the second, you make a family of your own; and in the end, you just embarrass the family you’ve made.

The Silver Inky is awarded to an international author. The 2014 Silver Inky winner is: All the Truth That’s in Me by Julie Berry (HarperCollins)

Four years ago, Judith and her best friend disappeared from their small town of Roswell Station. Two years later, only Judith returned, permanently mutilated, reviled and ignored by her friends and family.

The Inky Awards are reader-lead literary prizes. Readers between the ages of 12-20 vote for their favourite books from a shortlist selected by a panel of teen judges from around Australia. Five Australian and five international books of young adult fiction are shortlisted and the books that attract the most reader votes online win.

Gold Inky winner Will Kostakis said it was sensational to see schools embracing the entire shortlist, and encouraging students to read, critique and vote. “To be part of the Inky’s process has been so rewarding – and to win, well, that’s the icing on an already awesome cake. It’s such an honour to be recognised by the book’s intended audience.”

Silver Inky winner Julie Berry said she was honoured to see her novel shortlisted. “These awards programs play such an important role in engaging young readers and shining a light of advocacy and celebration upon wonderful new books,” she said.

The Centre for Youth Literature’s Reader Development Manager Anna Burkey said the Inky Awards encourage teens to read for pleasure and share the stories they enjoy. “The Inky Awards show us what Australian young people are really interested in reading. This year’s shortlist is full of first love and family life, struggles with survival, the unknown and finding your place in the world,” Ms Burkey said. “Travelling from dark city streets and Greek suburbs to luxury spaceliners, surreal fairy woodlands and nuclear winters, the shortlist reflects the many worlds of great storytelling out there for young people.”

The Inky Awards were founded by the State Library’s Centre for Youth Literature in 2007 as Australia’s first national teen choice awards for young adult literature.